Tampa Bay Lightning coach once again eats for free at Chicago Cut, this time thanks to an A-list actor

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper returned to Chicago Cut Steakhouse on Tuesday with his assistant coaches and front office management and once again enjoyed a free meal as they did on Sunday, only this time it was courtesy of actor and Blackhawks fan Vince Vaughn rather than NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.

Vaughn passed the party of 20 to get to his table on the patio at Chicago Cut and spotted his old friend Cooper, according to Chicago Cut managing partner David Flom. The two men hugged and spoke for about 10 minutes before the “Swingers” and “Old School” star sat down for dinner with his party of 12, which included former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.

“Cooper called me over to his table and said, ‘Hey, I want to pick up Vince Vaughn’s check,’” Flom said. “He was doing it to be kind because of the Barkley thing. I tell the server and then walk by Vince’s table. Sure enough, Vince looks at me and says, ‘I know that guy just called you over to pick up my check. That’s not how we roll in Chicago.’ He goes, ‘This is Chicago, my town. This is how we treat people. I got his check.’ How can you argue with Vince Vaughn? I said, ‘OK, no problem.’ I go walk away and he stands up and says, ‘I got his check. This is Chicago.’

“So we go over to Cooper and he goes, ‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. Twice with 20 people and I haven’t paid once.’”

Cooper visited Chicago Cut on Sunday because Barkley recommended it to him. Barkley also called the restaurant to make the reservation for his party and had their check put on his credit card.

Vaughn also has been generous with the Blackhawks. During the Hawks’ Stanley Cup run in 2010, he happened to be dining at Japonais (now called Japonais by Morimoto) the same night as then-Blackhawk Dustin Byfuglien (now with the Winnipeg Jets) and picked up his check.

It’s unclear how Vaughn and Cooper know each other, but Cooper seems to be a fan of Vaughn’s work. The Lightning’s Mark Barberio told nhl.com that Cooper asks that his team follow two rules from Vaughn’s movie “Wedding Crashers”: No excuses, play like a champion (rule No. 76) and don't look for opportunities, make them (rule No. 113).

Other celebs spotted Tuesday at Chicago Cut: The Blackhawks’ Scott Darling and NBC Sports Network hockey analyst and former Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick. Vaughn and Morello also hung out at Parliament’s rooftop lounge, The Kensington, on Tuesday.

The Blackhawks host the Lightning in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday at the United Center. The Lightning lead the series 2-1.